Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K accident near Elizabeth, Louisiana, October 17, 2024
On October 17, 2024 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1979 Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, registered N231MW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Elizabeth, Louisiana (Wc Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2024 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Elizabeth, Louisiana · Wc Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, built 1979
- Registration
- N231MW · no longer on the register · serial 25-0200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 17, 2024, about 1430 central daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, N231MW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Elizabeth, Louisiana. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane engine lost partial power during a go-around after a bounced landing. Multiple witnesses reported that the engine sounded as if it was not producing full power. The airplane settled into a tree line at the end of the runway, impacted multiple trees, and came to rest inverted about four feet off the ground which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane was equipped with an Electronics International MVP-50P Digital Engine Monitor which was retained for data extraction. The airplane was also retained for further examination.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KACP, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KACP 171955Z AUTO 10004KT 10SM CLR 22/00 A3025 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N231MW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.